Chapter 24 - Recent developments in using plant-derived natural products as tubulin inhibitors for the management of cancer

Abstract

Defeating cancer has become a global battle calling for development of new treatment options. Better understanding of the biological processes involved in development of cancer has made it possible to screen various drugs against a wide range of targets. Targeting of microtubule dynamics has remained one of the favorite targets for researchers. Tubulin inhibitors are drugs of choice in many of the treatment strategies employed by the oncologists. Tubulin inhibitors are classified under two types as microtubule stabilizers or destabilizers. Three different sites are identified where these inhibitors binds. Natural sources have played an important role in development of modern medicines for treating various diseases including cancer. Vinca alkaloids, colchicine, and taxane are the first drugs in these categories which are named after different binding sites. Drugs binding to vinca domain and colchicine domain fall under microtubule destabilizers; and those binding to taxane domain fall under microtubule stabilizers. These drugs have served as prototypes for the development of their semisynthetic derivatives which are having wide range of anticancer activities. In present review, various aspects of the natural tubulin inhibitors and their role in development of chemotherapeutic agents for cancer treatment are discussed.